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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stand — to bear
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rash — hasty
  8. lean — thin
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. drill — army training
  13. lean — to bend
  14. shower — rain
  15. bank — for money
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rash — a series
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bank — of a river
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com